Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Gut-lung microbiota dynamics in mice exposed to Nanoplastics

Researchers gave mice PET nanoplastics orally for 28 days and analyzed the microbiome in their lungs, colon, mouth, and stool. While gut and oral bacteria were relatively unchanged, the lung microbiome showed significant shifts, including increases in bacteria associated with respiratory inflammation. The findings suggest a gut-lung connection where ingested nanoplastics may influence lung microbial communities even when gut bacteria appear unaffected.

2024 NanoImpact 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and triclosan co-exposure aggravates DSS-induced colitis in mice by interfering with Akkermansia muciniphila and tryptophan metabolism

Mouse colitis experiments showed that combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and the antimicrobial triclosan worsened intestinal inflammation by depleting Akkermansia muciniphila and disrupting tryptophan metabolism, revealing synergistic gut-disrupting effects of these two common environmental pollutants.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Gut-lung axis: a novel mechanism involving microbiota dysbiosis-coordinated PLA2-TRPV1 neuroimmune crosstalk in nanoplastic-induced asthma exacerbation

Researchers found that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics worsen asthma in mice by triggering a chain reaction involving gut bacteria disruption, nerve-immune signaling, and airway inflammation, revealing a gut-lung connection where plastic particles in the body can amplify respiratory disease through multiple biological pathways at once.

2026 Environment International
Article Tier 2

Lactate exacerbates lung damage induced by nanomicroplastic through the gut microbiota–HIF1a/PTBP1 pathway

Researchers found that nanoplastic exposure (particles 50–100 nm) disrupts gut bacteria in mice, causing lactate to build up in the lungs and triggering a cellular pathway that worsens lung damage through a process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition, where lung tissue changes in ways linked to scarring. The findings identify lactate and the gut-lung axis as key targets for preventing nanoplastic-induced lung injury.

2023 Experimental & Molecular Medicine 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Perturbation of gut microbiota plays an important role in micro/nanoplastics-induced gut barrier dysfunction

Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut barrier function in mice, finding that different surface chemistries caused varying levels of damage. The study suggests that these plastic particles harm the gut by altering the gut microbiome, which then leads to inflammation and weakening of the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the body.

2021 Nanoscale 198 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano‐plastics disrupt systemic metabolism by remodeling the bile acid–microbiota axis and driving hepatic–intestinal dysfunction

Mice were exposed to polyethylene terephthalate nanoparticles, and researchers used histopathology, metabolomics, and metagenomics to track downstream effects. Nanoplastic ingestion caused severe metabolic disruption—including weight loss, organ atrophy, and liver-intestinal dysfunction—by remodeling the bile acid–gut microbiota axis.

2025 iMeta
Article Tier 2

Fecal microbiota transplantation attenuates nano-plastics induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Nano-sized plastic particles ingested by the roundworm C. elegans penetrated the intestinal barrier, accumulated throughout the body, and were not excreted until the worms died — and transplanting human gut microbiota into the worms partially mitigated the toxicity. The study provides early evidence that a healthy gut microbiome may help protect against nanoplastic harm, and that these particles can persist indefinitely once inside an organism.

2021 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

The role of gut microbiota in MP/NP-induced toxicity

This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut bacteria and why that matters for overall health. The tiny plastic particles change the composition and function of the gut microbiome, which can trigger inflammation, weaken the intestinal barrier, and potentially contribute to diseases beyond the gut through the immune and nervous systems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic exposure affects the intestinal microbiota of adult Drosophila flies

Using fruit flies as a model organism, researchers found that nanoplastic exposure significantly altered gut bacteria composition, shifting the balance toward potentially harmful species. The changes in gut microbiota were linked to signs of intestinal stress and inflammation. Since fruit fly gut bacteria share similarities with human gut microbiota, these findings suggest that nanoplastic ingestion could disrupt the gut microbiome in ways that may affect digestion and immune function in humans.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

The ant that may well destroy a whole dam: a systematic review of the health implication of nanoplastics/microplastics through gut microbiota

This systematic review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics and microplastics disrupt gut bacteria in various organisms. The findings show that plastic particle exposure consistently alters gut microbiome composition, which in turn affects the host's immune function, metabolism, and overall health. These gut bacteria changes may be a key pathway through which microplastics harm human health.

2025 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Continuous oral exposure to micro- and nanoplastics induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, intestinal barrier and immune dysfunction in adult mice

Researchers fed mice micro- and nanoplastics at environmentally relevant levels and found significant gut damage, including disrupted gut bacteria, weakened intestinal barriers, and reduced immune function. The ratio of beneficial to harmful gut bacteria shifted, and immune cells in the gut decreased. Importantly, the duration of exposure and the size of plastic particles mattered more than the amount consumed, suggesting even low-level long-term exposure could harm gut health.

2023 Environment International 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastic-induced brain injury: Emphasis on the microbiota-gut-brain axis

This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics may damage the brain through the gut-brain axis, a communication pathway between the digestive system and the nervous system. Nanoplastics can disrupt gut bacteria and weaken the intestinal barrier, potentially sending inflammatory signals to the brain. The authors suggest that targeting gut health could be a way to reduce brain damage caused by nanoplastic exposure.

2024 Life Sciences 17 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Interactions between polystyrene-derived micro- and nanoplastics and the microbiota: a systematic review of multi-omics mouse studies

Researchers systematically reviewed 15 mouse studies and found that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics consistently disrupted gut bacteria — reducing beneficial species like Lactobacillus and increasing harmful ones — while also altering metabolic pathways throughout the body. Nanoplastics caused more severe microbiome disruption than larger microplastics, highlighting a serious health concern for humans.

2026 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics and Their Potential Impact on Human Gut Health: A Narrative Review

This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect the gut, finding that they can damage the intestinal lining, trigger immune responses, and disrupt the balance of beneficial gut bacteria in both cell studies and animal models. Since humans are primarily exposed to microplastics through food and food packaging, understanding these gut effects is essential for assessing the true health risks of plastic pollution.

2024 Current Issues in Molecular Biology 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Are Microplastics Toxic? A Review from Eco-Toxicity to Effects on the Gut Microbiota

This review summarizes existing research on the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics, from environmental organisms to effects on gut bacteria. Studies show these particles can cause oxidative stress, disrupt energy metabolism, and damage genes in a range of species. With micro- and nanoplastics now found in human blood, lung tissue, and placentas, the authors stress that much more research is needed to understand the full health risks to people.

2023 Metabolites 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Low particle concentrations of nanoplastics impair the gut health of medaka

Researchers exposed Japanese medaka fish to low concentrations of nanoplastics for three months and observed significant damage to gut health, including tissue injury, impaired digestive enzymes, weakened immunity, and disrupted gut bacteria. Even at particle concentrations considered environmentally realistic, the nanoplastics caused measurable harm and increased mortality. The study suggests that long-term exposure to low levels of nanoplastics may pose greater risks to fish health than previously assumed.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota combined with metabolome dissects long-term nanoplastics exposure-induced disturbed spermatogenesis

Researchers studied how long-term exposure to nanoplastics affects sperm production in mice by analyzing changes in gut bacteria and metabolic pathways. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted spermatogenesis, with amino-modified nanoplastics causing more severe effects than standard polystyrene particles. The study suggests that nanoplastics may harm male reproductive health by altering gut microbiota and lipid metabolism.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the intestinal microenvironment by altering bacteria-host interactions through extracellular vesicle-delivered microRNAs

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupt the gut lining in mice by altering tiny RNA molecules that control the production of protective proteins in the intestinal barrier. The nanoplastics also caused an imbalance in gut bacteria, creating a chain reaction where damaged gut cells release particles that further weaken the intestinal barrier and change the microbiome.

2025 Nature Communications 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to nanoplastics altered lipid profiles in mouse intestine

Researchers exposed mice to nanoplastics orally for 14 days and found significant changes in lipid profiles within their intestinal tissue, even without visible tissue damage. The nanoplastics disrupted key fat metabolism pathways and triggered signs of abnormal cellular cleanup processes called autophagy. The study suggests that nanoplastic ingestion may alter how the gut processes fats, with potential implications for metabolic health.

2025 Food and Chemical Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A probiotic for preventing microplastic toxicity: Clostridium dalinum mitigates microplastic-induced damage via microbiota-metabolism-barrier interactions

Using metagenomics and metabolomics, this study found that the probiotic bacterium Clostridium dalinum reduced microplastic-induced gut damage in mice by modulating gut microbiota composition, metabolic pathways, and intestinal barrier integrity.

2025 Current Research in Food Science
Article Tier 2

The role of gut microbiota in mediating increased toxicity of nano-sized polystyrene compared to micro-sized polystyrene in mice

This mouse study found that nano-sized polystyrene plastics were significantly more toxic than micro-sized ones, causing greater gut inflammation, liver damage, and metabolic disruption. The key difference was driven by how each size affected gut bacteria: nanoplastics caused a more severe shift toward harmful bacteria and away from beneficial ones. The findings suggest that the smallest plastic particles may pose the greatest health risk because they more dramatically disrupt the gut microbiome.

2024 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Do Engineered Nanomaterials Affect Immune Responses by Interacting With Gut Microbiota?

This review examined evidence that engineered nanomaterials including nanoplastics can indirectly modulate immune responses by altering gut microbiota composition, finding that while direct immunotoxicity is often mild, microbiome disruption provides an indirect pathway through which nanomaterials may impair host immunity.

2021 Frontiers in Immunology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics as Emerging Environmental Materials: GreenChemistry Insights into Gut Microbiota Disruption and Chronic DiseasePathways

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt gut microbiota composition, finding evidence linking these exposures to reduced microbial diversity, gut barrier dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and potential contributions to chronic diseases including metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration.

2026 Current Materials Science
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the nexus of human health hazards of nanoplastics, gut-dysbiosis and antibiotic-resistance

This review provides the first comprehensive synthesis specifically linking nanoplastic exposure to gut dysbiosis and antibiotic resistance gene propagation, finding that nanoplastics suppress beneficial microbes while fostering pathogens and creating conditions that promote horizontal transfer of resistance genes.

2025 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C